The Oldsmobile 88 was introduced in 1949, an appropriate name since there was already an Olds 78 and Olds 98. This one is from 1955, part of the second generation of these cars, and appears to be in original condition. It’s up for sale here on eBay in Show Low, Alabama. The BIN price is $14,500, but there is also the option to make an offer.
Oldsmobile has been gone for almost 20 years now, and towards the end of its life the cars it produced weren’t very exciting. But in its heyday, Oldsmobile pumped out some fantastic cars. According to Hagerty, “the Olds 88 was one of the fastest automobiles in America at the dawn of the 1950s, and it was the car to beat in NASCAR racing, winning 10 out of 19 races in the 1950 season. The same year, an Olds 88 won the grueling 2000-mile-plus Carrera Panamericana road race in Mexico. An 88 convertible served as the pace car for the Indy 500 in 1949, and the Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston hit “Rocket 88” is one of the very earliest rock and roll songs.”
The exterior of this car has held up pretty well, with only some surface rust showing on the roof. In the photos, no major rust is noticeable around the wheel wells, rockers, or fenders. The seller also states that it is rust-free. I did spot a piece of trim that’s loose behind the rear window, so that is a place that should be investigated. However, all the trim including the large chrome bumpers appear to be in great shape, the panels look straight and dent-free, and the glass looks undamaged. The white walls are now yellow walls, so they may be old enough that replacement is wise.
This is the only photo of the interior, and it seems like it has also survived the last 6 decades. I’ve always loved interiors from the 1950s, and GM cars are some of my favorites. The carpet looks stained but otherwise undamaged, and the door panels and seat cover don’t look bad either. The dash pad looks a bit lumpy, but I can’t really tell what’s going on. It might be a recovered or repaired item – does anyone have any ideas?
Unfortunately, no photos of the engine. The seller doesn’t mention any mileage, but says it runs and drives well. It has the 324 Rocket V8 and the 4-speed Hydramatic transmission. We are told that the brakes need to be worked on – the car stops but not well. Hopefully it’s as simple as bleeding the brakes and adding fresh fluid. Otherwise, this will be a pretty cool car to keep as-is, although the seller suggests an LS swap. What would you do?
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